Song of the Moonlight
by Dark Silent Star
Summary: Miharu learns that a new member of the Lunar Race has appeared for their aid. How will this affect their ability to re-capture the Teardrops of the Moon?
1. Introduction

**Oh, for an easier time reading my FanFictions, Italics are thoughts, Underline are titles of chapters, and Bolds are notes from me.**

Introduction

Hi, my name is Mahiru Shiraishi and I'm a junior in high school. I'm an average school girl, oh, well, I guess I have to take that back. My parents died in a car crash, and since then I've been living with my aunt. But there's another weird thing about me. It seems if I touch someone or if someone touches me, they get good luck. I'm stuck with all of the bad luck. It's like they suck all of the luck out of me! Oh yeah! Whenever I have my period or when it's the full moon, I have this dream about a Princess and a demon. There was also a song that begins with "Princess, Princess, why do you cry? In the forest painted by the setting sun, I made a promise to a demon boy," and I always heard that song when I saw my dreams. I learned it from my grandmother. I love to swim, and when I'm underwater, that's also what I see. One day a bumped onto a guy at the library when I was doing so research about the Princess and the demon. It turns out that my dream was the legend of "The Demon and the Minister of the Left". The guy said that he was called Nozomu Moegi. He picked out a book with a really good explanation of the legend, and while I read it, I began to sing the song. After the first line I sang, Nozomu joined in too. I was really surprised that he did. No one that I knew heard the song before. Later I found out that he had some friends by the names of Misoka Asagi, Mitsuru Suou, and Akira Yamabuki. Shortly after that, I found out that they weren't human, and they were all members of what is called the Lunar Race. Their mission was to reclaim gems called Teardrops of the Moon. Those stones supplied them with power to transform into their alternate forms. Nozomu is a vampire, Misoka is a fox demon, Mitsuru is a tengu (**I** **think that's a long-nosed goblin, but if you look on the back cover of Volume 1, it says he's a bat.**), and Akira is a werewolf. When there is a full moon, they transform just fine, but when it's a new moon, they're all powerless. So during their missions, they rely on me. I'm the so called "Descendant of the Princess" and I have the power to extract energy from the moon. I also have another power. I can sense the power of the Teardrops of the Moon. But there are obstacles along the way. The family of Dawn's Venus is always intersecting our plans. One of my classmates, Keiko Himura, is a member of Dawn's Venus. I don't treat her as an enemy like I should. She's a good person, so I think of her as a friend.

Life is dandy I guess. I'm still going to school as normal, and Nozomu, Misoka, Mitsuru, and Akira have all been looking after me from a distance. I've moved in with the Lunar Race for our convenience. I help out with Oboro Kurosaki's bar, the Moon Shine. We all call him Master. Katsura Shion plays the piano for everyone, and my friends dance and sing along with her. But Katsura isn't always a "her". She lives the first half the month as a woman and the second half as a man. Nozomu was kind enough to give me one of his specially trained bats to me. Mr. Bat is the name that I gave him, but sometimes I call him Batty. He sleeps at night so that we can all sleep. Whenever I need something, I can talk to Nozomu through him. It's really convenient. We've all worked hard to retrieve the Teardrops of the Moon, and I say that we've done a really good job. We had some tough times though. Mitsuru almost died, and Akira was very badly injured. But we still pulled through to the end.

So, here we are. This is what I call my family now. Even though we're not related (they're not human, remember?), I've grown to be really close to them. And I know, one day we'll retrieve all of the Teardrops of the Moon. One day the Lunar Race and humans will be able to live together in peace again.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Start 

I was working with everyone at the Moon Shine on a Saturday night. Nozomu was singing for everyone to hear. He was really amazing too. Akira was cooking away in the kitchen, and sometimes I wonder how he does it. Misoka was at the bar serving beverages, and Mitsuru and I were waiter and waitress tonight. It was a normal, busy night here.

I was taking the order of Table 5 when I heard someone enter. Suddenly everyone stopped working and stared at the person who just walked in. I went to great her, and she was a tall, slender, brown haired girl with amber highlights and blue eyes. She just smiled at me and walked into the bar. The members of the Lunar Race ran to see her. But I didn't know what was going on, so I went back to work. In my head, I wondered if she was a close friend or family member. I could hear "Welcome back!", "Long time no see!", and "I've missed you." They were all laughing, and I could hear her laugh too. I saw Nozomu give her a kiss on the check before I set off for the next table's orders. After I was done, I heard Nozomu call out to me.

"Mahiru! Come over quick, girl!" so I rushed to meet them.

"Princess, this is Hoshiko Taji. She'll be moving into the spare room upstairs," Misoka informed me.

I replied, "Nice to meet you. Are you… by any chance, part of the Lunar Race too?"

She gave a small giggle before she answered my question. "That's right. You must be our Descendant of the Princess."

"You must be really tired, Hoshi! I'll move your things up to your room, okay?" And Akira jogged outside to fetch her belongings.

"Thanks Akira. You all have changed so much! Two years seemed so long!" Hoshiko said. I guess they all call her Hoshi (**star**) as a nickname. Her name means "star child", so I guess it would make sense.

"You really should get some rest, babe. Let me show you up to your room," Nozomu said happily. I had never seen him so full of energy. And so he took her upstairs.

While I waited for Nozomu to return, Misoka filled me in about Hoshiko.

"She's a year older than you Princess (**Miharu is 17, so she's 18**). She relies on the Teardrops of the Moon, as we do. She's a Dark Warrior, which means she can disappear into the shadows, it's very interesting… Anyway, since we have succeeded in returning enough of the Teardrops of the Moon, she has awakened from her two-year slumber."

"You mean… she's been asleep for two years?" I was really confused by this point.

"She sacrificed herself so that we would have more power. We had lost the Teardrops a while ago and lost most of our power. But since she is the way she is, she died and was reborn again. Hmm. Let's not say "reborn"; her body will not change while she's asleep." Misoka explained to me.

Nozomu returned and sat with us at the bar. "She's still weak. And her power hasn't fully returned yet. Hoshi was lucky that she even got here without clasping."

"Why do you worry about her so much?" Mitsuru voice echoed.

"Don't you remember what she did for us, you twit?" Nozomu muttered.

"Yeah, so? Who the hell cares?" Mitsuru's voice shook with anger.

"I do! Keep that up and she'll make sure that you'll be gone for good!" Nozomu was in rage now. And I thought that he was always happy. Looks like I guessed wrong.

"Settle down. We want her to rest, right?" Oboro's voice hissed to us.

Everyone fell silent and it stayed that way for a few -but long- minutes. Akira was wobbling in and out of the building with Hoshiko's possessions and leaving the boxes at the front door. After he took in eight large boxes, he sat down to rest.

"I'm done! I'll leave those boxes there, and we'll help Hoshi unpack tomorrow morning when she wakes up." Akira panted and he was so tired that he rolled off the chair and onto the floor.

Nozomu poked the sleeping body of Akira, smiled and whispered, "Hey, at least you got all of them in here from the truck. Let me move them upstairs, alright?"

Akira moaned opened his eyes and nodded with a small slime on this face. He slowly stood up and dragged his feet up to his room.

"Why is she moving in with us anyway? It's not like she has any business here." Mitsuru groaned. It seemed that he really disliked Hoshiko.

"What are you talking about? She always has business here!" Katsura had all along been listening to our every word. Most of the guests had gone home, but she was still playing the piano softly.

"Speaking of all this, you all should go to bed too. You don't want to be bad hosts and hostess, do you?

No one argued, so we all returned to our beds. And I had to say, my warm bed was calling me.

The next morning, when I woke up and went to the kitchen, the smell of breakfast was already started. Akira and Nozomu were cooking quickly.

"Good morning, cutie!" Nozomu greeted me. He was in a better mood then yesterday night, which was good. The bad thing is that I still sensed some disappointment on his voice.

I looked at what they were making, and I was really amazed. Pancakes in the shape of crescent moons and stars were lying on silver plates.

"Wow you two! This is awesome! How come I've never seen you do this before?" I questioned them. It was worth asking too.

"These are special pancakes; they're called "Night Scene" pancakes. We only make them on occasions like yesterday. As long as we live under this roof, this is a required tradition." Akira carefully filled another plate with the "Night Scene" pancakes.

"It's not like we're complaining. They're fun to make, and having Hoshi living with us is the best thing that can happen," Nozomu added as he placed fruit of each platter. The plates now looked colorful with the different types of fruits.

"Oh, by the way, where is Misoka?"

"He's at the library. I have no idea why he's there though," Akira sighed. "He's been there from the moment he woke up to the time he went to bed."

"Good morning all. Ah! "Night Scene" pancakes! My arrival wasn't that significant, was it?" Hoshiko was awake now, and she happily helped the boys move the plates out to the table. "All of this looks great!"

"Ha, ha. It looks great because you haven't seen food in two years!" Nozomu joked. I've never heard him laugh like that before. It made me so happy inside, to see him smile like that.

"Just because I was dead, doesn't mean that I didn't see what you all were doing!" Hoshiko ruffled Nozomu's hair.

"D-dead?" I stuttered. I hated death, and I still do.

"Huh? Oh, would you like me to explain it to you, Miharu?"

"Please do. Misoka tried to explain to me, but he wasn't clear," I really wanted to find out a bit more about her. She's been really mysterious.

"Don't tire yourself out explaining it, okay Hoshi? Miharu, this is going to be really confusing," Nozomu tried to comfort me, but I was still determined it understand.

"I won't, Nozomu. Two years ago, the Teardrops of the Moons' energy were very weak. So many people were dying from lack of energy. Nozomu and the others were weaker than any of the rest of us. I took a lot of the Teardrops' energy because I'm one of the many Dark Warriors, so I asked Nozomu to kill me." Hoshiko was trying to explain it as clear a possible.

"You say it so negatively Hoshi. Didn't you tell me that you wanted to die?" Nozomu questioned.

"Yes, I did. Your bite did the trick. Anyway, back to the subject. When I died, some energy returned. I stayed dead until there was enough energy to go around before I took my share. So, now is that time, and I'm alive." There was a hint of depression in her voice. Wasn't she glad to be alive?

"Anyway, when I die, my body doesn't age, but once I wake up, it will. I can die as many times as I want, until it's really time for me to leave this world," Hoshiko cut a small piece of pancake and placed it gently into her mouth.

"Ah! Your pancakes are better than I remembered!" Hoshiko complimented. A smile lit her face. I could tell that this was her real smile. Something told me that I wouldn't see it often.

"Maybe it's because you haven't eaten anything in two years." Nozomu smirked at her.

"But Akira's food has always been fabulous anyway." Hoshiko turned to Akira and gave him a grin.

"Thank you! Glad you love them!" Akira was way too happy now. His ears and tail popped out and he pounced on Hoshiko with excitement.

"Hey, hey! Get off my girl!" joked Nozomu. He pulled Akira off Hoshiko and she sat up and gave a small giggle.

"Don't be such a kidder," Hoshiko blushed into a soft pink.

"Who said that I was kidding?" Nozomu grabbed her hand and pulled her up and hugged her. She returned the hug. A small grin rested on both of their faces.

"Ha, ha! What a perfect match!" Akira sat on the floor, laughing until he turned red.

What did he mean? Was Hoshiko really his girlfriend? Why would he kill her if she

was? Didn't he love her? How did he live without her?

Chapter 1: End


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Start

That afternoon, everyone, yes everyone, went out to show Hoshiko the world that she has missed. We went everywhere, and she seemed to remember a lot of it. At 5:30 PM, we arrived home at last. We had nothing to do, the day was so exciting, and now it was dull again. The minute we got home, Mitsuru ran into his room and locked the door. We gave up trying to get him out, so we all sat around, doing nothing.

"Hoshiko, I haven't heard you sing yet. May I?" I asked. Normally the Lunar Race was very good at singing and dancing. "If you're not singing, you might as well be dead." Misoka's saying popped back into my mind.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Katsura, can you play the piano for me?" Hoshiko's was a lot gentler. I thought that she would love to sing, and that she would be good at it.

"Sure, I would be glad to. What song?" Katsura walked out her room and sat on the piano bench. Hoshiko took out a sheet of music out of her purse, and gave it to Katsura. She looked over it, and nodded. She took the mike and stood on the stage. A pleasant melody filled the room. The song was gentle and touching, and with the melody and lyrics combined, it moved me so much that it made me cry. After the song was over, Nozomu let out a whistle.

"That was the best you have ever sung!" He said to her when she headed towards us.

"It's because you haven't heard it in two years!" Hoshiko said mockingly. She used what Nozomu said that morning against him. I laughed, and they both stared at me.

"I loved the song, Hoshiko. It must mean a lot to you, huh?" I asked. I really liked the song too.

"Oh, it does. The first human that became my friend wrote it for me," she told me as she took a sip of the water that Mitsuru had set on the table before he stomped up to his room. I was shocked for a moment, but sometimes I am so comfortable with the Lunar Race that I forget that they're all not human. Just then, I remembered something I wanted to ask Hoshiko.

"Uh, um… when you transform, do you really turn into… something evil?" I stuttered. She stared at me for a moment and she put down her glass.

"It's just a term that we all use to describe me. Just because they call my kind Dark Warriors doesn't mean that we are 'evil.' I'm just your average member of the Lunar Race. Each Dark Warrior transforms into a certain animal and if we carry the special trait, an element," Hoshiko answered my question, but I couldn't tell if she was happy or sad about it.

"What animal are you…?" I asked again.

"You'll just have to find out huh?" she winked at me with a smile.

"Miharu, you have to see what she can do! No one can touch her when she Shadow Dances! It's a very unique skill that will help us a ton!" Nozomu joyfully said.

"So, can you help around here, Hoshi?" Akira yelled from the kitchen. He was preparing for that night when the bar opened.

"That's up to you, I guess." She sighed and leaned back into the chair.

"Well, then can you help me then?" Akira's voice sounded rushed; he did have a lot of things to do in the kitchen.

"Sounds good; is there anything you want me to help out with now?" she asked and she walked into the kitchen.

"If you can chop up some garlic and then fry this… Whoa! How did you do that?" Akira's voice was heard faintly. I guess Hoshiko was really handy in the kitchen.

"Hoshi has really settled in with us, huh? I say we did a pretty good job of welcoming her." Nozomu mumbled to me.

"I guess we did. But I think there's something on her mind. Something heavy that she can't tell us," I told Nozomu as I wondered into space.

"She's always like that. But that's what I like about her. She has a mysterious aura. You know, while I was helping Hoshi unpack, she said that you seemed like a very smart girl and that she would be happy to work with you." Nozomu told me as he drank his water.

"Really?" I blushed.

"Yeah! Hoshi's skills are beyond belief, and if you help her, she's going to be able to help us clam back all the Teardrops of the Moon with no problem!" a smile was spread across his face.

"Hello taste-tester Miharu!" Hoshiko had stepped out of the kitchen with a plate of fried won-tons. She put it in front of me with a small bowl of sweet and sour sauce. I dipped, and put the warm won-ton in my mouth. The sauce hit me with a sour flavor and then turned sweet and tangy. The flaky crust melted in my mouth and revealed a creamy cheese filling.

"This is amazing! Hoshiko, did you make all of this?" I was truly flabbergasted.

"Yep. Akira will be serving these as an appetizer. He said that he's going to make the main course. But he wouldn't tell me what he was up to." Hoshiko said proudly as she pulled up a chair and sat down.

"He must be up to something new." Nozomu sighed. "There's no way we can sneek up on him."

"Agreed. Even if I tried using my dancing, I don't think I'm well enough to find out what he's doing," Hoshiko muttered.

"You shadow dancer." Nozomu taunted Hoshiko.

"You mean she can blend into the shadows whenever she wants?" I gasped.

"Huh? Yeah. It's really fun," Hoshiko stared at the kitchen.

"Uh, how long does it take for you to regain your powers?" I grabbed her hand.

"Hmm, I really don't know. But I feel stronger by the minute. Thanks. Miharu, your powers are truly powerful! I'll be able to transform in no time at all," she smiled at me and turned to Nozomu to see his happy expression.

"Isn't the cutie wonderful? She's helped us every time!" Nozomu threw his arms around Hoshiko, and she patted his head twice.

"Hey Miharu, why don't we go shopping next Sunday?" Hoshiko winked at me.

I thought quietly to myself for a split second and then quickly replied, "That would be great!"

"We should take the guys too; they have no sense of fashion," giggled Hoshiko. I knew that she was just joking, but somehow I think that she was somewhat right.

"Are you directing that comment at me, Hoshi? Like, how dare you!" Nozomu teased.

"Kidding, kidding. Anyway, we need a "Girls' Day Out" thing. Sometimes living with guys will be a total drag." Hoshiko moaned.

"That may not be a good idea, Princess. That will be the day we set out for another Teardrop of the Moon," a voice boomed through the room. We all looked at the door, and standing in the doorway was Misoka.

"Relax. It's not like shopping takes one whole day. Besides, I can tell that there will be time."

Misoka walked in silently and thought for a moment. "Fine, I trust your word on this, Hoshiko," he whispered.

"Have I ever been wrong about these kinds of things, Misoka?" she asked with a slight bit of an annoyed tone.

"No, you haven't. That's why I trust you to be back here at 7 PM," he replied.

What in the world was she talking about?

Chapter 2: End


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Start

"You're too serious, Misoka." Hoshiko sighed.

"It's my job. It's my nature. I can't let anyone get hurt, so I have to do all that I can to prepare us to face Dawn's Venus," Misoka replied. Misoka was holding a thick book under his arms. It seemed to be red with a bird on the cover.

"Have you been researching about the phoenix again? If you need the answer, you could have asked me," she changed the subject.

"Huh? What's a phoenix?" I asked. I've never heard of it before.

"A phoenix is a graceful, mythical fire bird. When it dies, it bursts into Midnights and is reborn from the ashes. Their tears have magical healing abilities. As you can tell, they represent life and death." Hoshiko explained to me.

Suddenly a hawk with streaks of blue feathers soared into the room. It circled around Hoshiko as she let it perch on her arm. It was a majestic creamy brown feathered bird with a long tail. It sat obediently with such pride.

"W-what is that thing!" I shuddered. I was stunned with bewilderment and fear at the same time.

Hoshiko blinked. "She's not a 'thing'. This, is my personal hawk, Midnight. She's also my partner in good deeds or harmful crimes. I couldn't summon her until today." She said as she patted Midnight on the head.

"I was wondering when I would ever see Midnight again! How have you been Nights?" Nozomu cooed.

Midnight flew over to the table were Akira had set up a bowl of meat and fish. She nibbled at it, but I could tell that she really enjoyed it.

"This is an important sign, Hoshiko. Your powers may be recovering quickly, but they're not fast enough to recover in time for next Sunday," informed Misoka.

"Ease up a little, that'll be a week. As long as Miharu is willing to lend me her power, we'll be fine." Hoshiko said confidently.

"Where is the next target with the Teardrop of the Moon, Misoka?" I asked.

"A jewelry store. Seems like the got it on display. Those humans are trying to auction it from there." Misoka sadly said.

"Perfect…" Hoshiko said under her breath.

"What? Did you say something?" I asked.

"It's nothing. I'm sorry," was Hoshiko's response. I wasn't sure what she said, and I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Are you up to something again, Hoshi?" Akira laughed.

"Maybe, maybe not." Hoshiko replied with an evil smirk.

"You and your fucked-up plans," a deep annoyed voice groaned. Mitsuru had appeared from being cooped up in his room.

"Behave yourself, won't you?" Nozomu glared. He was still playing with Midnight.

"Why should I listen you, that bitch, or any of you faggots!" Mitsuru roared. I had to admit that he was starting to scare me.

"Watch your mouth!" Nozomu countered.

"Stay out of this! This has nothing to do with you!" Mitsuru raged.

"Fine. You want to settle this? We'll take it outside." Hoshiko butted in.

"Bring it on, bitch!" Mitsuru glared at her with his really intense eyes.

"Stop it! You all know that Hoshi is in no condition to do anything major right now! How can you be so foolish!" Once again, a voice butted into the conversation. This time it was Oboro. I was really thankful too.

"You're not going to stop me from kicking her ass!" At that moment Mitsuru started to transform and thrash around. He was looking a lot uglier than usual.

A loud chirp came from Midnight as she flew off the table and started pecking at Mitsuru. Midnight's powerful claws tore through his flesh. It looks really painful; Midnight's sharp beck and claws did wound him very badly. A loud scream came out of Mitsuru, and he transformed back into his human-like self.

"Mitsuru, are you okay!" I asked. But I didn't wait for him to answer because I ran off to get the first aid kit.

"Stop with your bitching and leave me alone!"

"Let me help you! You're going to bleed to death if I don't help you!" I seized onto him, but he shoved me off and jumped out of the window.

"That bastard. Oh well." Hoshiko mumbled.

A loud screech came from Midnight while to flew over to the window sill.

"Settle down, Midnight. The mean dude won't be coming back for a while," muttered Hoshiko. Now she looked too stressed. I started to see the bags under her eyes.

"Have you been getting enough sleep?" I needed to know.

"Would you consider three hours of sleep enough?" She quietly asked.

"Just three hours? You should be getting at least eight!"

"Hoshi, you should really get back into bed." Nozomu had been standing by, listening to every word.

"Easier said than done. My sleep pattern is supposed to be irregular." Hoshiko let out a yawn. She was tired, why isn't she letting herself sleep? She set up the perch for Midnight, who immediately flew over to it and fell asleep.

"Follow Midnight's example and crawl into bed, Hoshi." Now Nozomu was guiding her to her room. She didn't fight back, but something told me that she wasn't going to go to bed. She didn't look like the type of person that would follow orders that easily. But she did listen to Nozomu. I wonder why that is? Maybe it was because they really belonged together? I shook that idea out of my head, but the image of Mitsuru popped into my head. I thought that we had feelings for each other too, and I knew that I couldn't let him run off by himself again. I couldn't go alone in the dark by myself; the Lunars would be so worried about me. I thought fast. I ran upstairs to wake up Mr. Bat, who slowly awakened and landed gently on my shoulder. I grabbed the first aid kit again and ran out the door. I thought I saw Akira stare at me while I ran, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that I found Mitsuru and treat his injury. There was a feeling inside of me that just made me want to run as fast as I could to find him, so I could hold him, so that his pain would just disappear. I could sense him.

Chapter 3: End 


	5. Chapter 4

**Before I start Chapter 4, I'd like to tell my readers that I'm switching all of my stories into third person. It's easier, and when I write in third person, it's almost always omniscient. Please check my profile for more news.**

Chapter 4: Start

_(Start Flashback)_

"_What makes you want to be with me anyway…?" She held his hand in hers. A tear silently slid down her cheek. He pulled her close. His warmth dried her fear._

"_So we can soar to the moon, together…" He slipped a silver band around her finger. The moonlight reflected shapes of the moon and stars off it._

"_Congratulations, you two!"_

"_Aren't you both a little too young to make this decision?"_

"_It doesn't matter what age you are! Shut your trap!"_

"_Those guys are just too cute! Let them!"_

_Hoshiko held onto Nozomu's arm as they announced their engagement to their families. At the time, he was only 17, she was 16. The two of them had been close friends for over ten long years. They had so much in common they said. They spend practically every moment together, doing missions, hanging out, practicing, or just relaxing. Hoshiko and Nozomu told each other everything; they never had any secrets between them. Their wedding was supposed to be a happy day, alas, it wasn't. It never came._

"_You… you don't need me that bad… Not as bad as our people need the Teardrops…"_

"_What the hell are you saying! I can't live without you!"_

"_Living without me is the only way you're going to live."_

"_How can you be so sure!"_

"_Look at you. Look at the Lunars around you. We're dying everyday. Can't you see that? I want to be some use to them!"_

"_What's one more day? Have you forgotten everything about us? Our love?"_

"_I haven't forgotten. I'll never forget. But I want you to forget me for just for a little while…Live in the happiest way possible," Hoshiko touched his face. His eyes were filled with hot tears. But even as he cried, he smiled. He finally understood._

"_I don't know why, but I know that whatever you tell me to do is the right thing… and I… I hate that…" _

_Without another word, he sank his fangs into her neck, killing her the day before their wedding. He held her lifeless body in his arms and cried on top of it. He knew that she would be alive again one day, but the still cried because he didn't know when. _

"_I don't know what to do with myself now… Where do I move from here… Hoshi…"_

_(End Flashback)_

Hoshiko was in her room, unpacking what was left of her things. She finally pulled out her photo of Nozomu and her when they were at the park two years ago. He was taller than she was, and still was. He was standing behind her with his arms around her waist. They were both smiling.

"Those were happy days…" she said out loud to herself. At that thought, Nozomu's words rang in her head. She cried a tear of happiness.

"_I promise, when I get the Teardrops back to our people, I'll marry you."_

She smiled at his powerful words. At that moment, she heard knocking on her door.

"Knock knock! Anyone home?" Nozomu's voice cooed through the door.

"Come in," Hoshiko replied. He opened the door, smiling. He walked over and sat on the bed with her.

"So you finally dug up that picture of us back in the day?" he put an arm around her shoulder. "What now? Are you crying again?" Nozomu wiped the tear away with his finger. He held her tighter. "You've always been the wisest person I've ever known, but it seemed as if your wisdom was too much for you…"

"Who would know…" she leaned against him. "Do you remember… your promise…?"

"How could I forget?" he said holding onto her left hand where he had placed the ring two years ago. "How much longer do you want to wait?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm really excited. The thing is…" her voice trailed off.

"What?"

"When I finally was able to wake up, I found out that my parents had tried to bring back the Teardrops…. But they were killed in the process…"  
"No way! They were the top members of the Dark Warriors!" Nozomu gasped.

"I know, I know…" she sighed. "I guess we have to break it to everyone downstairs then," the energy returned to her voice. _"My parents had always been so busy; they never really paid attention to me anyway…"_

"Well, here we go then!" he cheered up too.

"Whaaat!" Miharu, Mitsuru, and Akira shouted at once when they found out Hoshiko and Nozomu's secret. Every detail was told. Somehow, Miharu had gotten Mitsuru to come back, wounds treated and all.

"Sorry for not telling you guys earlier!" he waved his hand.

"When will the wedding be?" Miharu asked excitedly.

"We've decided that if you didn't mind, all we would like is a small party here. There's really no point in a wedding now…" Hoshiko gave a nervous smile.

"You just married a dumbass, good for you," Mitsuru grumbled.

"Shut up already! This is supposed to be a happy occasion; we don't need your rude comments!" Akira shouted at him with a growl.

"Congratulations," Oboro and Katsura had been standing nearby and heard every word. Midnight, who was still on her perch, gave out an excited shrill.

"I'm just surprised that you were able to keep this a secret for all these years Nozomu," Misoka joked. Nozomu gave him a playful punch.

"If you're ready for another surprise, I'll transform for you to see, Miharu," Hoshiko said in a cheerful voice.

"Sure, I'm looking forward to see it!" Miharu happily replied. And so, the party (all except for Mitsuru who was still in a bad mood) went straight to the room for extra room.

"Better stand back for this one," Nozomu pulled Miharu back away from Hoshiko.

She crossed her arms and clutched onto her shoulders as a circle of red flame appeared on the ground. It started to flare upwards as red wings sprouted from her back. Her hair swung wildly. Before long, the circle of fire went so high that you weren't able to see her at all. By the time the flames died out, all you could see was a fiery phoenix flapping its wide, flaming wings. It had a long, flaming tail to match. Its beak and claws were golden and sharp, ready to tear up anything. Around its left talon was a silver band. The phoenix was large enough to barely hold a passenger on its back. When it landed right in front of Miharu, she jumped back from the significant amount of heat it possessed.

"What… what is that!" she screamed.

"Chill girly! It's Hoshi!" Nozomu comforted her.

"I told you before, the Dark Warriors can transform into a certain animal. This is what I turn into, the never-dying phoenix, the one that carries the element of fire. I'll burn whoever I please," Hoshiko spoke from her birdlike form. Her bird head stared at the floor. "My mother was a cat the size of a tiger with the element of lightning, and my father was a snake as long as a bridge that carried the element of poison. I guess you can say that the animal and element traits that runs through my blood doesn't relate to my family history," she sighed.

"Princess, in this form, Hoshi will be able to fly you to any destination. In the best way possible, she'll be great use to you," Misoka lectured.

"Man, it's been so long since I've been able to see you like this, Hoshi!" Akira whistled.

Hoshiko transformed back into her human form within seconds.

"I can't stay in my form for too long, I don't quite have enough energy yet…" she panted as she looked up and grabbed a warmed color feather that was floating downward.

"That's only natural for you. It's alright," Oboro said.

Nozomu took the feather out of his wife's hand and tickled Miharu under her chin. She laughed loudly as everyone else chuckled.

"Don't get jealous of Hoshi now. You have Mitsuru to take care of," he winked at her as she blushed. She couldn't help it since it was true.

"I heard that, dumbass!" Mitsuru shouted as he appeared. Nozomu finger-flicked his forehead.

"Rest assured, we won't act like husband and wife, isn't that right, Nozomu?" Hoshi teased him.

"_This is a new chapter in my life with the Lunar Race. I know I'll enjoy it!"_ Miharu smiled widely.

Chapter 4: End


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